Recovery key or backup? | NullKey by Alvento

A key opens; a backup preserves

A recovery key is another way to unlock the vault’s encrypted data. It is not a copy of those data. A backup contains the data but still needs a valid unlocking secret. Either one on its own may be useless after the phone is gone.

Match the secret to the backup

Backups preserve the vault’s state at export time. A subsequent passphrase change or recovery-key rotation does not update earlier exports. Retain the credentials needed for backups you intend to keep, using a secure storage method separate from those backups.

Walk through a sample restore

On a phone with no NullKey vault, choose Restore on the welcome screen and select the backup in Android’s file picker. Enter the passphrase or recovery key that belongs to that export. NullKey authenticates the contents before restoring and refuses to overwrite a vault already on the phone. Test with harmless sample data first. For the complete backup routine, follow the offline vault backup guide; to restore onto another phone, see the new-phone steps. The encrypted backup feature explains what the app checks.

Practise with harmless files

Create a test vault and record its recovery key. Add sample documents, export a backup, and test your recovery workflow without removing valuable data. Check that you understand both forgotten-passphrase recovery and lost-device recovery.

Keep the language precise

“Recover my password” and “restore my files” describe different problems. NullKey provides a recovery-key unlock flow and a whole-vault backup/restore flow. There is no account reset or support-held copy of your vault.

Frequently asked questions

Can a backup alone restore my files if I have forgotten my passphrase?

Not on its own. A backup holds the data but still needs an unlocking secret that belongs to that export, so you need the passphrase or recovery key matched to it. Restore only into an empty vault, and rehearse the process with sample data first.

Does changing my passphrase update the backups I already made?

No. Backups reflect the vault at the moment of export, so a later passphrase change or recovery-key rotation leaves earlier files untouched. Record which secret matches each backup and store that secret separately from the file.

Can a recovery key ever replace a backup?

No. A recovery key only offers an alternative route into existing encrypted data rather than a duplicate of it, so it cannot bring back files that are gone. Keep both: the backup covers device loss, and the key covers a forgotten passphrase.

Recovery key or backup? You need both jobs covered